ATHENS -- Contrary to popular belief, Chip Beck never left golf. It just left him for a little while, and he took a short break while trying to track it down. In fact, the longtime PGA Tour player -- best known for shooting a 59 in 1991 and finishing runner-up in the 1993 Masters -- actually sold insurance for a few years in Chicago before returning to the game full time. Now 53, he has resurfaced as a professional player on the Champions Tour and this week as honorary chairman of the "Stadion Athens Classic at UGA," a Nationwide Tour event at the University of Georgia Golf Course. In an interview on the UGA driving range shortly before he was to conduct a golf clinic for 180 boys and girls, Beck talked with the AJC about his relationship with UGA and the long, strange trip that has been his life and career in golf.
Q: I know it was a big deal to the University of Georgia to get you involved in this tournament. What have they got you doing?
A: It's a big deal for me, are you kidding me? I love the University of Georgia, and I'd do anything for it. I'm going to play golf with some of the sponsors from the Stadion group out of Watkinsville, and I'm going to be going to dinners and just shaking a lot of hands. I'm just proud to be here and thankful to be a part of it. It's just nice that they've included me. I've done no work, believe me. I've tried to raise a little money and tried to spread the word about what we're doing here.
Q: I see you've played in only two Champions events this year. Are you still a full-time player on that tour?
A: Yes, I'm actually a full-time player. What's interesting is if you're not on the top 70 career all-time [money winners] then you're not exempt on the Champions Tour unless you're top 30 from the previous year, and I'm not. I'm currently 73rd in all-time money. So I just need a few good tournaments, then I'll be exempt. And if I win one more tournament, I'll be in the Legends. So those are goals, which is really good. But it's a very challenging tour without a doubt.
Q: After playing the PGA Tour full time for 20 years (1979-99), you actually got out of the game for a while, right? What was that like and what brought you back?
A. I live in Chicago, been there over 22 years, and I was on the train one day and it was snowing and it was cold and I was in a coat and tie and I thought, 'man, this is a long way for a golfer to come.' I was a long way off from playing golf for a living at that point. But you know what? That time taught me a lot; I learned a lot. And at that time I was playing about seven Nationwide Tour events and just trying to rebuild my swing. It was actually a good time for me because I was actually able to get to know my [four] kids a little bit. That was very positive. And I was also able to not to have any pressure on me and fix my swing. My swing was not functioning well, and I had to do something about it.
Q: What exactly happened to your golf swing?
A: I got burned out as much as anything really. I got to where I was just making too many changes too quickly and lost my ability to really compete. One of the things that will put you out of competitive golf quicker than anything is driving the ball. ... With putting, you can struggle for a while, but generally it's easier than it is to hit drives. Psychologically you can change and improve your putting much quicker than trying to synchronize all these different movements that go into hitting a driver. It's part art and part hand-eye coordination. Anybody, like Ian Baker-Finch or David Duval, it's usually poor driving that sends them off. You're playing defensive golf at that point, and you can't win on these tours that way.
Q: What got you back in the groove?
A: I was fortunate. I met this guy named Dr. Jim Suttie, and this guy is a master. He's an emeritus teacher for Golf Digest and everybody in the PGA knows this guy is a genius. He has two masters degrees and a doctorate. His doctorate was "The Model Swing" from Western Kentucky University using computer and statistical analysis. He put that together into like 10 sections, and it's just a beautiful thing. Brilliant. ... This guy knows what he's talking about. I'd been to all the teachers before that, and he's the only guy who has been able to help me. ... Without Dr. Suttie and my wife, I don't think I'd be here today.
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